Stewart Copeland is taking The Police classic, “Message in a Bottle,” and reimaging the classic tune for his new album, Police Deranged for Orchestra, out June 23. The new offering features vocals from Amy Keys, Carmel Helene, and Ashley Támar.
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For the project, Copeland revisits The Police’s biggest hits, including ”Roxanne,” “Don’t Stand Too Close To Me” and “Message in a Bottle” arranged for full symphony orchestra as well as hand-picked highlights from Copeland’s compositions.
“‘Message in a Bottle’ was like a diamond and I could not mess with it; the form of it is what it has to be,” Copeland told Grammy.com earlier this year. “I did mess with the orchestration, with the sound textures and so on, but the song itself resisted all of my attempts at de-arrangement. But I did orchestrate the heck out of it.”
“Message in a Bottle,” the band’s first of five UK No. 1 singles, was originally released in 1979 as the lead single from The Police’s second studio album, Reggatta de Blanc. Written by the band’s lead singer, Sting, the song tells the story of a castaway who sends a message in a bottle hoping to find love, but soon realizes he’s not alone in his search.
Just a castaway, an island lost at sea, oh / Another lonely day, with no one here but me, oh / More loneliness than any man could bear / Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh / I’ll send an S.O.S to the world / I’ll send an S.O.S to the world / I hope that someone gets my / I hope that someone gets my / I hope that someone gets my / Message in a bottle, yeah, Sting sings.
The Police Deranged for Orchestra began as a concert that became the inspiration for the new album. Copeland will embark on the Police Deranged for Orchestra Live Tour, with locally based symphony orchestras joining the band. The Tour will hit international dates on June 30 in Luxembourg, followed by stops throughout Italy before heading back to the States on September 30 in Omaha, Nebraska. Check out the tour dates below.
Additionally, Copeland will release a new book, Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries, published by Rocket 88 Books. According to a release, “the book is based on and includes Copeland’s personal pocket diary entries from 1976-79. With scans of original pages and Copeland’s new background commentary, its pages are illustrated with classic and previously unseen photos from the early “starving years” of a band poised for global success.” Pre-order Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries here.
POLICE DERANGED WITH ORCHESTRA LIVE
June 30: Luxembourg – Kinnekswiss Loves Festival, Parc Municipal
July 12: Udine, Italy – Piazzale del Castello
July 14: Umbria, Italy – Umbria Jazz Festival, Arena S. Guilana
July 16: Trento, Italy – Parco dei Tre Castagni
July 24: Gardone Riviera, Italy – Vittoriale
July 25: Florence, Italy – Piazza S. Annunziata
July 27: Taormina (Sicily), Italy – Teatro Antico
September 30: Omaha, Nebraska, US – Holland Center
October 5: Denver, Colorado, US – Boettcher Concert Hall
More dates to be announced soon.
Photo by Arnold Jerocki/WireImage
